The Emperor
THE EMPEROR, Part 1. By Georg Ebers Volume 1. Translated by Clara Bell PREFACE. It is now fourteen years since I planned the story related in these volumes, the outcome of a series of lectures which I had occasion to deliver on the period of the Roman dominion in Egypt. But the pleasures of inventive composition were forced to give way to scientific labors, and when I was once more at leisure to try my wings with increase of power I felt more strongly urged to other flights. Thus it came to pass that I did I not take the time of Hadrian for the background of a tale
poor--though she is young and good-looking?"
"It is certainly rather a feeble crop for a woman of her age," I
admitted. "And pale at that, and washy."
"Precisely. It's done up behind about as big as a nutmeg.... Now,
observe the contour of her back as she sits up there; it is curiously
curved, isn't it?"
"Very," I replied. "Not exactly a stoop, nor yet quite a hunch, but
certainly an odd spinal configuration."
"Like our friend's, once more?"
"Like our friend's, exactly!"
Hilda Wade looked away, lest she should attract the patient's attention.
"Well, that woman was brought in here, half-dead, assaulted by her
husband," she went on, with a note of unobtrusive demonstration.
"We get a great many such cases," Travers put in, with true medical
unconcern, "very interesting cases; and Nurse Wade has pointed out to me
the singular fact that in almost all instances the patients resemble one
another physically."
"Incredible!" I cried. "I can understand that there might well be a type
THE EMPEROR, Part 1. By Georg Ebers Volume 1. Translated by Clara Bell PREFACE. It is now fourteen years since I planned the story related in these volumes, the outcome of a series of lectures which I had occasion to deliver on the period of the Roman dominion in Egypt. But the pleasures of inventive composition were forced to give way to scientific labors, and when I was once more at leisure to try my wings with increase of power I felt more strongly urged to other flights. Thus it came to pass that I did I not take the time of Hadrian for the background of a tale